Internship Program

Internships

Are you interested in kick-starting your career in the publishing industry? Want to work behind-the-scenes and learn what it takes to get a book digitally published and in the hands of readers? Would you like to support a wholly unique, literacy cause that benefits a totally underserved target audience?

As a Readeezy intern, you will have the opportunity to do all that and more. Interns can choose to write or illustrate an entirely original work, or be a part of our daily operations, which involves editorial, digital communications, marketing, outreach, grant writing and fundraising. 

A number of our past interns have received academic credit. Please check with your advisor prior to applying.

Note: All internships are unpaid and fully remote. All interns are featured on the Readeezy website with photo, bio and contact information. 

About Our Readers

Readeezy’s target audience consists of struggling, disabled older readers; therefore, we focus on publishing high-interest, low-reading-level stories that have 3rd or 4th grade vocabulary and sentence structure. These types of stories are engaging for their age group and can be easily read and understood by them. Our vision is to create a digital library that will help them enjoy the activity of reading again. 

We highly encourage anyone interested in an internship to check out our sample book to gain a clear understanding of our editorial vision. Because our target audience is older readers, we aim to publish both mature storylines and mature-looking, teen and college level character art. We do not publish children’s literature.

Qualifications

All Readeezy internships require a rigorous and disciplined sense of time management, personal initiative, and excellent communication skills. For those interested specifically in the illustrator internship, please carefully consider your availability during the semester, as the time commitment can amount up to 20 hours/week.

For more information on each role, please review our job descriptions below. 

Readeezy seeks creative and ambitious Writers/Authors to join our intern cohort. As a Writer/Author, you will work closely with the Readeezy editorial team to compose fictional, age-respectful and relevant stories that will attract our target audience. You will be responsible for writing a 3,500-4,000 word story that is written at a 3rd or 4th grade reading level with 5-6 chapters and, afterwards, work in tandem with illustrator to bring the story to life. Although this is an unpaid internship, it provides the opportunity to use segments of story for personal portfolio. 

What to Expect

  • 3,500-4,000 word story written at a 3rd or 4th grade level with 5-6 chapters

  • Pitch, draft, write, edit, and proofread work

  • Attend weekly check-in meetings

  • Follow scheduling guidelines

  • After story completion, work with illustrator to bring story to life

  • Communication with Readeezy staff

Qualifications

  • Major in English, Journalism, Writing or related field
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • A good grasp of grammar, syntax, punctuation and storytelling techniques
  • Tailoring writing style to meet the needs of target audience
  • The ability to positively receive and act on feedback/constructive criticism
  • Attention to detail and accuracy, particularly concerning narrative conventions
  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Proficient in components of Google Drive, especially Docs
  • Able to work independently and collaboratively

Along with meeting the above qualifications, intern candidates are required to submit a one- to two-page sample of the beginning of a short story for teens, preferably written at a fourth grade level. The story must be dialogue-driven and have minimal narration. We encourage candidates to explore the sample story on our homepage to get an idea of the type of stories we publish.

In addition, intern candidates are required to provide a letter of recommendation from someone who has worked closely with you, such as a professor, employer, instructor or a mentor. The letter should speak to not only your talent but also your ability to commit to a schedule and complete quality work in a timely manner. 

Please note: All applications that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered.

Readeezy seeks talented and self-motivated Illustrators to join our intern cohort. As an Illustrator, you will work closely with Readeezy staff and authors to develop rich illustrations for a 3,500-4,000 word story (40-50 pages) and 5-6 simple animations that will engage our target audience. You will be responsible for illustrating an entire book, from character design and sketching drafts to formulating the cover art. Work will be in keeping with professional standards for publication. Although this is an unpaid internship, it provides the opportunity to be a published illustrator and to use work on personal portfolio. 

View Readeezy Art Samples

What to Expect

Each Readeezy book is richly illustrated for maximum engagement and comprehension. All interns are supervised by Readeezy professional staff.  

  • 40-50 illustrations and 5-6 simple animations (e.g. tears, rain) per book
  • Character profiles for our Character Match prompt
  • Work in tandem with the author
  • Attend weekly Zoom check-in meetings
  • Communication with Readeezy staff

Qualifications

  • Major in Illustration or related visual arts field and/or have a portfolio of completed digital illustrations of character designs and backgrounds
  • Proficient in and have access to digital drawing software and graphics tablet
  • Interested and willing to illustrate mature-looking, teen and collegiate-level characters and lively backgrounds
  • Creativity and imagination with a keen eye for color, balance, layout, and visual storytelling
  • Proficient in components of Google Drive, especially Docs
  • Excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills
  • Able to work independently and collaboratively
  • Self-motivated and deadline-driven

Along with meeting the above qualifications, intern candidates are required to provide a letter of recommendation from someone who has worked closely with you, such as a professor, employer, instructor or a mentor. The letter should speak to not only your talent but also your ability to commit to a schedule and complete quality work in a timely manner. 

Please note: All applications that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered.

Readeezy seeks highly organized and capable Editorial Assistants to join our intern cohort. As an Editorial Assistant, you will be responsible for providing administrative and editorial support, ensuring accuracy and consistency across our publications. This includes coordinating with authors, editing and proofreading stories and audio, and providing timely updates to the editorial staff. Although this is an unpaid internship, it provides the opportunity for a wide range of on-the-ground experience for those interested in a publishing career.   

What to Expect

  • Review 3,500-4,000 word stories for grammar, spelling, punctuation, verbiage and formatting corrections, as well as catching errors in plot structure and illustrations (for instance: inconsistencies in names, plot events, etc.)
  • Proof listen voiceovers, ensuring the audio matches the text
  • Assist Writer/Author interns with developmental and line editing as peer mentors
  • Assist with rewriting stories to a lower reading level (1st–2nd grade reading level)
  • Perform other duties as assigned
  • Communication with Readeezy staff

Qualifications

  • Major in English, Journalism, Creative Writing or related field
  • Excellent written communication skills
  • Attention to detail and accuracy
  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Proficient in components of Google Drive, especially Docs
  • Able to work independently and collaboratively
  • Able to commit 5-10 hours per week

Along with meeting the above qualifications, intern candidates are required to copy edit and submit the following document alongside their resume and cover letter: Editing Sample Clean.

Please note: All applications that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered. In addition, this role has a very selective process, as we always have more interested individuals than we can accommodate.

Readeezy Literacy seeks dedicated and motivated Grant Writers to work with staff in completing and submitting grant proposals. This role will involve researching and identifying potential funding opportunities, writing persuasive grant proposals, and collaborating with our team to align grant efforts with our organizational goals. 

What to Expect

  • Research and identify available funding opportunities related to literacy, education, and disadvantaged youth
  • Draft, edit, and submit grant proposals 
  • Work in tandem with Readeezy staff to gather necessary information for proposals and ensure alignment with organizational objectives
  • Regularly update and maintain grant database with information on submitted grants, tracking deadlines and reporting requirements
  • Develop budgets for grant proposals with assistance from Readeezy staff

Qualifications

  • Major in Philanthropy, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations or a related field
  • Experience in grant writing, preferably for non-profits or similar causes (volunteer)
  • Work experience with literacy interventions is a plus
  • A personal interest in literacy, education, publishing, and/or EdTech
  • Excellent research and writing skills
  • A team player with excellent communication skills
  • Detail-oriented and self-starter
  • Proficient in components of Google Drive, especially Docs
  • Able to commit 5-10 hours per week
  • This internship is eligible for credit if approved by applicant’s institution and follows all the requirements for this category.

Along with meeting the above qualifications, intern candidates are required to submit academic writing samples.

Please note: All applications that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered.

Readeezy seeks ambitious and creative Communications Interns to join our intern cohort. As a Communications Intern, you will work closely with the Readeezy team to strategize and support the development and execution of key projects and campaigns that resonate with our target audience. This includes overseeing email marketing, social media, and other related tasks. Although this is an unpaid internship, it provides the opportunity for a wide range of on-the-ground experience for those interested in a career in the nonprofit, publishing, and/or education field.

What to Expect

  • Assist with producing and deploying social media content, newsletters, and podcast material
  • Help maintain brand consistency across all communication channels
  • Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices in brand communications
  • Actively seek out opportunities for brand collaborations and partnerships
  • Interacting with followers, fellow organizations, and other accounts to increase engagement levels
  • Continuously seek out ways to improve and innovate brand communications processes
  • Communication with Readeezy staff

Qualifications

  • Major in Communications, Marketing, Advertising, or related field
  • Proficient or working knowledge in digital design programs including but not limited to Photoshop, Illustrator, and Canva 
  • A working knowledge of color, layout, typography, and other design fundamentals
  • Some experience using social media management tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, and Facebook Meta
  • A team player with excellent communication skills
  • Detail-oriented and self-starter
  • Strong computer, design, organizational, and multi-tasking skills
  • Able to commit 5-10 hours per week

Duration

Readeezy internships follow a semester-based structure. 

Fall-Winter (September–January)

Spring-Summer (February–July)

Internship hours are flexible and dependent on the role. Writer, Editorial, Grant Writing, and Communications internships average 10 to 15 hours per week over the course of the semester. Illustrator internships average 15 to 20 hours per week over the course of the semester.

Weekly check-ins via Zoom are mandatory for all internship roles.

How to Apply

To apply, submit your application via Handshake or send your resume, cover letter, recommendation letter, and other applicable documents to maria@readeezy.com and paola@readeezy.com. ALL of these documents are required for your application to be considered.

Please use the following time frames to submit: 

  • To be considered for the Fall-Winter internship (June 30th – August 16th)
  • To be considered for the Spring-Summer internship (November 7th – January 9th). Note: Due to the high volume of applications we’ve received, the Editorial, Writer, and Illustrator positions for the Spring-Summer semester are now closed.

In addition, make sure to write “[Your Full Name], [Internship Role] Application, [Season and Year]” in the subject line.

For all internship-related inquiries, contact maria@readeezy.com or paola@readeezy.com